We demonstrate here that the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mlh1-Pms1 heterodimer
required for DNA mismatch repair and other cellular processes is a DNA bin
ding protein. Binding was evaluated using a variety of single and double-st
randed DNA molecules. Mlh1-Pms1 bound short substrates with low affinity an
d showed a slight preference for single-stranded DNA. In contrast, Mlh1-Pms
1 exhibited a much higher affinity for long DNA molecules, suggesting that
binding is cooperative. High affinity binding required a duplex DNA length
greater than 241 base-pairs. The rate of association with DNA was rapid and
dissociation of protein-DNA complexes following extensive dilution was ver
y slow. However, in competition experiments, we observed a rapid active tra
nsfer of Mlh1-Pms1 from labeled to unlabeled DNA. Binding was non-sequence
specific and highly sensitive to salt type and concentration, suggesting th
at Mlh1-Pms1 primarily interacts with the DNA backbone via ionic contacts.
Cooperative binding was observed visually by atomic force microscopy as lon
g, continuous tracts of Mlh1-Pms1 protein bound to duplex DNA. These images
also showed that Mlh1-Pms1 simultaneously interacts with two different reg
ions of duplex DNA. Taken together, the atomic force microscope images and
DNA binding assays provide strong evidence that Mlh1-Pms1 binds duplex DNA
with positive cooperativity and that there is more than one DNA binding sit
e on the heterodimer. These DNA binding properties of Mlh1-Pms1 may be rele
vant to its participation in DNA mismatch repair, recombination and cellula
r responses to DNA damage.